Interview: Susie Day + GIVEAWAY!

Did you put any of your own life into My Invisible Boyfriend?

The book is set in a boarding school for older teens with problems, and as I work as a house parent at an international boarding school, I definitely took some inspiration from our students! Our school is nothing like the Finch, but that environment puts the troubles that all teenagers face into a smaller goldfish bowl: no one goes home at the end of the day, so if you’re having problems there’s no escape. I hope I got the right balance of angsty woes.

In what ways do you relate to Heidi?

Heidi’s fear of being ‘left behind’ by all her friends definitely resonates: I was a ‘late bloomer’ (ugh, hideous phrase) and was still trucking around with unbrushed hair and Mum-bought clothes when everyone else suddenly sprouted hormones. (Ever seen Heather Mattarazzo in Welcome to the Dollhouse? That was me, giganto plastic granny glasses included. Oh, the pain.)

Heidi talks through her worries with Mycroft Christie, a time-travelling TV detective, and that’s all very ‘me’ too. I’ve grown out of the granny glasses, but not the obsessive TV-watching tendencies! I’m an unashamed geek.

If Heidi could date any guy from any YA book, who would you choose?

I’d have to say Peeta, from The Hunger Games. Heidi would adore his unapologetic devotion, and he’d laugh at her tendency to overthink everything. And he’s a baker! Perfect.

What was your favorite thing about writing My Invisible Boyfriend?

The endless cake references. Heidi works in a quirky cafe called The Little Leaf, which is what gives her the idea for Gingerbread Ed, her fake boyfriend. When you’re toiling away at a desk all alone, it’s very cheering to be writing about blueberry muffins. And lemon shortbread. And carrot cake. Mmm, carrot cake...

In your opinion- are there any "must haves" (personality, looks etc) for "the perfect boyfriend"?

None, because he doesn’t exist. Heidi constructs what she thinks is the ideal cookie-cutter boyfriend (he plays guitar, he writes poetry, he rides a motorbike) but his personality is basically ‘he likes Heidi’ and that’s it: he brings nothing new to her life that she doesn’t already have from her friendships (not that she realises it), so he’s not perfect after all. But even a real boy doesn’t have to be ‘perfect’: where’s the fun in that? We all have flaws. The best boyfriends have them too.

If you could travel back to any time period- which would it be and why?

Great question! I adore Golden Age crime fiction (Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham and the like) and I studied Virginia Woolf as a grad student, so I’d probably say 1920s and 30s. Unfortunately, I suspect the impact of two World Wars and the still fairly grim status of women at the time would shatter all my illusions, but if that nice Doctor turns up in his TARDIS and offers me a quick visit, I won’t say no.

Thanks so much for having me, Kelsey – and for asking such brilliant questions!

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Thanks so much, Susie!

Click here to visit Susie's website!

Click here to read my review of My Invisible Boyfriend!

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Thanks to Susie's awesome publicist, I have TWO copies of Susie's newest release, My Invisible Boyfriend, to giveaway!

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My Invisible Boyfriend Review

My Invisible Boyfriend by Susie Day

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Release date: April 1, 2010

Source: Publisher

Heidi has the perfect solution to her popularity problems - a fake boyfriend. She's even made him an Internet profile that makes him look like a motorcycle-riding, poetry reading bad boy. *swoon* Heidi's friends are so impressed they start emailing Heidi's fake boyfriend with their problems . . . including their problems with Heidi.

As if that weren't bad enough, a delicious and possibly single person called "A Real Boy" emails Heidi to say he knows the truth. Can Heidi escape from her world wide web of lies? Or will her chance at romance disappear faster than you can type gtg?

Review:

My Invisible Boyfriend definitely surprised me- in a good way! The writing was fresh, fun, and well done. The characters were creative and likable, as well. At first it was a little slow, but as the story progressed I got more and more into it. It was a very original, realistic read, that was a pleasant break from all the paranormal books I've been reading lately.

Heidi was a really likable main character, that had me laughing out loud at her witty way of speaking. And not just because she was British! I was reminded in a way of Louise Rennison's Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series while reading My Invisible Boyfriend- I definitely have a soft spot for British humor :)

In addition, Heidi really was just a normal girl trying to find her place in the world. Her friends were unique and interesting, as well. They all had something really memorable about them that stood out to me even more after I'd finished reading. Ed, the imaginary boyfriend, was great, too. I liked how realistic Heidi made him appear, but the best part was how he really helped Heidi's friends deal with their problems (even though he was really Heidi). The mystery surrounding "the real boy" kept you guessing, but I had a feeling I knew who he really was from the start. Luckily I was right! I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say, in the end, Heidi found the perfect guy!

As I mentioned before, the plot was very original. I agree Heidi shouldn't have lied to her friends, and the lie involving "Ed" got a little out of hand, but she did learn her lesson. It was a quick and fresh read, that will have you smiling by the end.

There are fun twists in the plots that will keep you interested and the characters are really likable. Especially Heidi, who many girls can relate to. The writing was funny and the plot unique. I can't wait to read more from Susie Day!

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars